 | English Roses |  |
UNDER THE GROUND.
Under the ground six feet he lies!
Ah, only now speak well of him
And truth and kindness tell of him,
Beneath the clods and guardian skies
Watched by the gray Eternities.
Ah, only now speak well of him
And truth and kindness tell of him,
Beneath the clods and guardian skies
Watched by the gray Eternities.
Calmly he rests and wisely keeps
His counsel in its mystery,
And holds from us the history
Wrought by those old abysmal deeps—
O long and fast our brother sleeps!
His counsel in its mystery,
And holds from us the history
Wrought by those old abysmal deeps—
O long and fast our brother sleeps!
Obediently he waits God's way
Again to make a rover him,
While little worms creep over him
And in and out in merry play—
An awful earthy holiday.
Again to make a rover him,
While little worms creep over him
And in and out in merry play—
An awful earthy holiday.
511
We scooped him low a kindred nest,
The dust claims fellow particles
To build up fairer articles,
And enters in the rose to rest
Red upon some white maiden's breast.
The dust claims fellow particles
To build up fairer articles,
And enters in the rose to rest
Red upon some white maiden's breast.
The friendly clay, the creeping things,
Each at its work is dutiful,
Each in its part is beautiful
And treat him reverently as kings,
With dark and solemn murmurings.
Each at its work is dutiful,
Each in its part is beautiful
And treat him reverently as kings,
With dark and solemn murmurings.
Talk not in common clamour here,
Where lies a man most tenderly
Who brake the tie that slenderly
Bound him to life and circuits sere—
This is a holy atmosphere.
Where lies a man most tenderly
Who brake the tie that slenderly
Bound him to life and circuits sere—
This is a holy atmosphere.
He reads the riddle now of tears,
The secret of sweet motherhood
And our poor human brotherhood;
He knows the hidden heart of fears,
The inmost yearning of the years.
The secret of sweet motherhood
And our poor human brotherhood;
He knows the hidden heart of fears,
The inmost yearning of the years.
And down among the primal roots
He learns each ancient verity,
And feeleth not temerity;
He sees the shaping of the shoots,
And why the midnight owlet hoots.
He learns each ancient verity,
And feeleth not temerity;
He sees the shaping of the shoots,
And why the midnight owlet hoots.
The stones claim fellowship with him
And whisper silent messsages,
He hears and marks the presages
Of language which to us is dim—
The chant of veilèd Cherubim.
And whisper silent messsages,
He hears and marks the presages
Of language which to us is dim—
The chant of veilèd Cherubim.
Under the ground he lies in hope!
He slumbers on quite pleasantly,
And shall he not rise presently?
His roof is heaven's dear purple cope,
And all creations to him slope.
He slumbers on quite pleasantly,
And shall he not rise presently?
His roof is heaven's dear purple cope,
And all creations to him slope.
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